Drive for uprighting boxes



DRIVE FOR UPRIGHTING BOXES 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 17, 1963 Feb. 28, 1967 V 5 DRIVE FOR UPRIGHTING BOXES 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 17, 1963 X 5 5 %N R a m Mm I W A 5 M/ E Mum Feb. 28, 1967 L v s DRIVE FOR UPRIGHTING BOXES 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. 1:15.567 4. 5/M4/V5 A 3,306,422 P Patented Feb. 28, 1967 3,306,422 DRIVE FGR UPRIGHTEN G BOXES Elbert L. Bivans, Glendale, Califi, assignor to Bivans Corporation, Los Angeles, Calif., a corporation of California Filed Oct. 17, 1963, Ser. No. 316,950 6 Claims. (Cl. 198-27) This invention relates to a drive for uprighting boxes and more particularly to a drive which accepts an empty formed box and delivers it to a conveyor to be conveyed at uniform speed through one or more stations where other operations are performed.

The formed empty box may be received from a box making machine described and claimed in applicants Patents 2,682,209 and 2,682,210 dated June 29, 1954. The patented box making machine includes a stack of collapsed box blanks, the machine acting to open the box and tuck in the side flaps and the end flap at the outer end thereof, the empty box being ejected with the other or inner end open and with its side flaps and end flap projecting in the plane of their respective walls.

The present application discloses and claims means for transferring the box from prone position at the outlet of a box forming machine to a vertical position in the conveyor.

The present application discloses a fully automatic machine where the patented box making machine operates in timed relation with the uprighting mechanism and with the apparatus at the other stations along the conveyor.

For further details of the invention, reference may be made to the drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a fully automatic carton conveyor machine, this machine including the improved drive of the present invention for uprighting cartons.

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view of the drive for uprighting boxes, the view being taken on the line 22 of FIGURE 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view of the adjusting head taken on the line 33 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view of the adjusting head taken on the line 4-4 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 5 is a section on line 55 of FIGURE 1 looking in the direction of the arrows and showing detail of the fingers and their supporting rail.

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of the double sprocket with portions of the chain broken away, showing the box receiving lagging and leading fingers.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the power drive for the apparatus at all stations shown is derived from apower shaft indicated at 1 and is driven by a suitable motor, not shown. Station S1 includes a box forming machine, for example, as shown in the above patents. A collapsed box which is formed by this machine is indicated at 2, The open box after being operated on by machine S1 is indicated at 3 and is in prone position, with its outer end 4 closed and its inner end 5 open, the end flap 6 being uppermost and extending in the plane of its wall 7, the side flaps 9 extending in the plane of their respective walls like 10. This box 3 is moved to upright position by the suction arm 8 and its suction head 99 at the uprighting station S2.

A sprocket device is generally indicated at 11 in FIG- URES 1 and 2 and it includes upper and lower sprockets 12 and 13, each driving an endless chain shown at 14 and 15. This sprocket device preferably includes the improved Sprocket Drive disclosed and claimed in copending application S.N. 262,654, filed in applicants name March 4, 1963, for Sprocket Drive For Carton Conveyor, now Patent 3,198,316.

The upper chain 14, at spaced intervals, carries a leading finger like 16, and the lower chain at correspondingly spaced intervals carries a lagging finger 17. The fingers 16 and 17 form one set which engages the opposite sides of the box and propel it along the horizontal flat bed 18 of the machine. An open box being thus propelled is shown in FIGURE 1 at 23, 24, 25, etc., along the conveyor.

As shown in FIG. 6, the bushings 37, 38 are mounted on hinge pins having extensions 45, 46, which receive spaced apertures 47, 48, in the base 49 of the lagging finger, the base 49 being held in position by cotter pins like 56, 51, as shown for finger 17. Each of the leading and lagging fingers in fact includes vertically spaced upper and lower finger members like 52, 53, as shown for lagging finger 19. As shown at 54, 55, for leading finger 2d, the upper fingers like 52, 54, are shorter than their companion lower fingers like 53, 55, to provide clearance for the pickup or suction arm 8. Also, each lagging finger has upright fiats like 56, 57, which lie in a vertical plane and face forwardly, with conjoining flats 58, 59, which lie in a vertical plane and face outwardly to engage the trailing side and the trailing rear of the box. Each leading finger has corresponding flats 60, 61, in a vertical plane to engage the leading side of the box and flats 62, 63, to engage the rear of the box. The finger members like 52, 53, and the companion leading finger members of the finger device 26 all extend parallel to each other when the finger devices like 19 and 20 have departed from the sprocket, with the chains extending in a straight line.

According to the invention, the grooves of sprocket 13 are subdivided into groups, which have a spacing the same as that of the trailing fingers, with the grooves at the end of each such group being eccentric, to tilt the trailing fingers in a backward direction around the sprocket. This is shown in FIG. 6 wherein the lagging fingers like 17 are tilted rearwardly of a radial position. The associated sprocket groove receives the leading bushing like 37, see FIG. 6, and at the time that bushing 37 rests in its groove, the lagging bushing on the lagging finger 19 rests in its groove which is at the minimum radius from the axis of the sprocket. The centers of bushings 37 and 38, see FIG. 6, thus lie on a line at right angles to a line which is abaxial, departing from a radial position.

The suction head 99 delivers a box to the leading finger of a set and the stop portions 62, 63, as shown in FIG. 6 are long enough to remain behind the back wall of the box until the lagging finger catches up to the box and urges it against the leading finger, the suction head thereafter starting its return stroke to pick up the next box.

At the time that the suction head delivers an upright box to a leading finger, the leading finger has moved olf from the sprocket and extends at right angles to the straight portion of its chain, the companion lagging finger being tilted rearwardly as it is still on the moving sprocket. The divergence of the lagging finger from its leading finger increases the size of the box receiving space between the fingers of a set. When the lagging finger leaves the sprocket, it moves to a position parallel with its leading finger to fit the back and sides of the upright box to embrace and hold the box and drive it along its path. The sprockets 13, 12, operate at constant speed in timed relation with the box forming machine S1 and the mechanism at uprighting station S2.

As shown in FIG. 1, shaft 1 drives a horizontal shaft 33 for the tucking apparatus at station S5. Shaft 1 also drives a sprocket 29 having a chain 179 to drive sprocket 181, see FIG. 2. Sprocket 181 drives shaft 180 on which the sprocket device 11 is mounted. Shaft 180 drives the gears in gear box to drive belt 81 which drives cams 82 and 83.

On leaving the vicinity of the sprocket 11, the boxes are propelled along one side of the chains 14, 15, in a straight line on bed 18 in the direction indicated by arrow 26, and in the opposite direction by these chains at the other side of bed 18. A conventional double sprocket not shown is employed at the return bend 27.

In FIG. 1, station S3 indicates a leaflet inserter where a leaflet is inserted in the top open end of each box, as described and claimed in application S.N. 263,854, filed March 8, 1963, by applicant and John H. Bent for Leaflet Inserter for Box Conveyor. The boxes like 24 and 25 thus each have a leaflet therein. At the other side of the machine in FIG. 1, at the position indicated generally in 28, the desired goods are packed or stuffed by hand or by automatic means not shown, into the boxes. On arriving at station S4, after the top side flaps are tucked in at station S7, the upright end flap is printed as described and claimed in application S.N. 316,959 filed Oct. 17, 1963 by applicant and August Kund for Printer for End Flap of Cartons.

At station S5, the printed end flap is tucked in, after folding the end of the end flap, and the closed box is ejected at station S6.

Referring to FIG. 2, the box transfer and uprighting mechanism is driven by gears not shown in a gear box 80, also having a drive for belt 81 which drives carns 82 and 83. Carn 82 has a fiat portion 841 for a cam follower 85 on arm 86 pivoted at its lower end as shown at 87 to the frame 88 of the machine. Rotation of cam 82 clockwise oscillates arm 86 which has an arcuate slot 89 for adjusting the position of the end 90 of a link 91 pivoted as shown at 92 at its other end to an upright arm 93 pivoted as shown at 94 to the frame 88. Arm 93 at its upper end has a bracket 95 which is swiveled on the upper end of arm 93 and secured in adjusted posi tion by nuts and bolts like 96 and slots like 97 on oppo site sides of the arm as shown. The bracket 95 carries an arm 98 which extends at right angles to the pickup arm 8 in FIG. 1. Fixed to arm 98 and rotatably adjustable is the suction head 99 controlled by a valve, not shown. The cams 82 and 83 operate the arm 98 in FIG. 2 between two positions, one of which is shown in full line at the left, box 3 being prone and with the suction head 99 on the top of the box, to the phantom line position in FIG. 2 where arm 98 is at right angles to its former position, the suction head now appearing at the back of the box which is now upright. This requires that the arm 98 be moved both back and forth in a somewhat horizontal direction as above described, but also with a vertical component which is derived from the pivotal movement of bracket 95 about its swivel mount 100 on arm 93, under control of link 101 which is hinged at its upper end as shown on 102 to an arm 103 on bracket 95. Link 101 is hinged at its lower end as shown on 104- to a lever arm 105 hinged also at 94, the other end of lever arm 105 having hinged connection 106 with a link 107, the upper end of which is hinged at 108 to an arm 109, having a hinge connection at its lower end 110 with the frame 88. Arm 109 has a cam follower 111 operated by cam 83.

The suction head 99 delivers a box to the leading finger of a set and the stop portions 62, 63, as shown in FIG. 1, are long enough to remain behind the back wall of the box until the lagging finger catches up to the box and urges it against the leading finger, the suction head thereafter starting its return stroke to pick up the next box.

As shown in FIG. 5, a fixed slide support, or rail 212, is provided with a horizontal bearing face 215 on which slides the leading fingers 16 as well as the iagging fingers 17, each of which has a downwardly facing bearing face like 216 for finger 16 and 217 for finger 17, the bearing faces 216 and 217 for the leading and trailing fingers all lying in the same horizontal plane to fit and slide on the face 215 of the rail 212. The rail 212 thus supports the moving fingers 16 and 17. As shown in FIG. 1, the rail 212 is straight and extends from the sprocket device 11 to the return bend 27 at one side of the machine and parallel thereto a similar rail 213 is provided at the other side of the machine from the return bend 27 to the station S6 where the box or similar article is ejected. As shown in FIG. 5, a stationary support 214 is provided at the rear of the lower chain 15 which carries the lagging fingers 17 to reduce or prevent sidesway created by eccentricity of the sprocket 13.

The adjusting head 112 made up by the bracket and the swivel mount 10% is constructed so as to provide an adjustment means to allow the uprighting mechanism to pick up cartons of different sizes. For example, when a larger carton is used, the suction head 99 must be adjusted to pick up the cart-on from a higher and more rearward location than that shown in FIG. 2. To do this, the bolts 113 must be loosened slightly to allow the clamp 114 to be loosened from the arm 98. The arm 98 is held in a groove 115 in the bracket 95. This construction holds the arm 98 in a fixed relationship to the bracket 95. When the clamp 114 is loosened, the arm 98 can be slidably moved upward to the desired position. The arm 93 has a hollow interior 116 and has at its bottom end a slidably mounted vacuum tr-ansfer tube 117. The arcuate slots 97 on the bracket 95 provide a means for adjusting the placement of the suction head 99 in a linear direction with respect to bed 18. By loosening nuts and bolts 96, the bracket 95 can be rotated about the arcuate slots 97 until the desired linear alignment with the box is achieved. The suction head 99 must also be adjusted to make full faced contact to the side wall 7 of the box. This is done by simply loosening screw 118 allowing the arm 8 to be rotated until the suction head 99 is in proper cont-act with the carton. There is one remaining adjustment to be made. The link 91 must vbe adjusted at its end 90 within the arcuate slot 39 of the arm 85. This adjustment will give the desired reciprocating motion and control the length of throw or linear travel of the head 112 and its associated parts. It must be kept in mind that all adjustments to the machine must be made with a strict relationship to each other and that no set pattern as to the order of adjustment is required.

I claim:

1. A drive for uprighting boxes comprising a suction head, an upright arm having a fixed pivot at its lower end, means for supporting said suction head at the upper end of said arm for movement between a pick-up position wherein said suction head faces downwardly and a delivery position wherein said suction head faces laterally, said two positions being substantially at right angles to each other, means for oscillating said arm for reciprocating said suction head from one position to the other, and means at the upper end of said arm for orienting said suction head with respect to said arm to face downwardly at said pick-up position and to face laterally at said delivery position.

2. A drive according to claim 1, said means at the upper end of said arm for orienting said suction head comprising an angularly and longitudinally adjustable supporting arm for said suction head to suit the size of a particular box.

3. A drive according to claim 1, including c am means for reciprocating said upright arm and other cam means for operating said orienting means.

4. A drive for uprighting boxes comprising an oscillating arm having inner and outer ends, said inner end having a hinge, a suction head, a support arm for said suction head, means carried by the outer end of said oscillating arm for supporting said support arm for angular adjustrnent of said suction head from a position facing downwardly, when said oscillating arm is in one position, to another position wherein said suction head is facing laterally when said oscillating arm is in another position, means for operating said oscillating arm, and means for operating said support arm.

5. A drive according to claim 4, each of said operating means being in the form of a cam.

6. A drive for uprighting boxes comprising a suction head, means for supporting said suction head for movement between a pickup position wherein said suction head faces downwardly and a delivery position wherein said suction head faces laterally, said two positions being substantially at right angles to each other, means for recipr0 cating said suction head from one position to the other, and means for orienting said suction head to face downwardly at said pickup position and to face laterally at said delivery position, said drive including a radius arm having a hinge at one end thereof on a horizontal axis and having an adjusting head outwardly of said hinge, said head having an arm for supporting said suction head, means for adjusting the longitudinal position of said arm in said head, means for angularly adjusting the position of said supporting arm on said radius arm, means for adjusting the orientation of said pickup head with respect radius arm and other cam means for oscillating said supporting arm.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 784,622 3/ 1905 Lindemann et al 198131 2,049,850 8/1936 Lytle et -al 2141 2,254,971 9/1941 Molins et a1. 198-33 X 2,948,337 8/1960 Wolter 19827 X 3,052,165 9/1962 Pierce 9353 X 3,074,326 1/1963 Engels on et al. 9353 3,207,049 9/1965 Monroe et al. 93-53 X 3,220,564 11/1965 Teago 214-1 OTHER REFERENCES German printed application, 1,155,714, October 1963.

EVON C. BLUNK, Primary Examiner.

to its said supporting anrn, cam means for oscillating said 20 HICKEY, Assistant Examine!- 

1. A DRIVE FOR UPRIGHTING BOXES COMPRISING A SUCTION HEAD, AN UPRIGHT ARM HAVING A FIXED PIVOT AT ITS LOWER END, MEANS FOR SUPPORTING SAID SUCTION HEAD AT THE UPPER END OF SAID ARM FOR MOVEMENT BETWEEN A PICK-UP POSITION WHEREIN SAID SUCTION HEAD FACES DOWNWARDLY AND A DELIVERY POSITION WHEREIN SAID SUCTION HEAD FACES LATERALLY, SAID TWO POSITIONS BEING SUBSTANTIALLY AT RIGHT ANGLES TO EACH OTHER, MEANS FOR OSCILLATING SAID ARM FOR RECIPROCATING SAID SUCTION HEAD FROM ONE POSITION TO THE OTHER, AND MEANS AT THE UPPER END OF SAID ARM FOR ORIENTING SAID SUCTION HEAD WITH RESPECT TO SAID ARM TO FACE DOWNWARDLY AT SAID PICK-UP POSITION AND TO FACE LATERALLY AT SAID DELIVERY POSITION. 